Twenty Important Spiritual Instructions

1 Twenty Important SPIRITUALINSTRUCTIONSA series of talks on Gurudev sTwenty Important Spiritual InstructionsBySRI SWAMI CHIDANANDASri Swami SivanandaFounder ofThe Divine Life SocietySERVE, LOVE, GIVE,PURIFY, MEDITATE,REALIZESo SaysSri Swami SivanandaSri Swami ChidanandaA DIVINE LIFE SOCIETY PUBLICATIONF irst Edition: 1993(4,000 Copies)World Wide Web (WWW) Edition: 1999 WWW site: ~pkanagar/divine/This WWW reprint is for free distribution The Divine Life Trust SocietyPublished ByTHE DIVINE LIFE SHIVANANDANAGAR 249 192 Distt. Tehri-Garhwal, Uttar Pradesh,Himalayas, NOTEThe present publication, unique in itself, comes as a long-expected boon from most ReveredSri Swami Chidanandaji Maharaj, to all seekers of Truth and Sadhakas in general.

2 Beingconcentrated prescriptions for daily Spiritual practice, touching all aspects of the inner life of theSpirit, this book will serve as a highly beneficialvade mecumto everyone. Here is a systematisedpresentation of the well-known Twenty Important Spiritual Instructions of Gurudev Sri SwamiSivanandaji Maharaj, and it enlarges upon the prerequisites required for the all-round disciplinethat should act as the fore-runner to direct meditation, arranged beautifully in their sequential the blessings of all saints and sages be upon the readers of this superb Spiritual ,1st July, 1993. THE DIVINE LIFE SOCIETYPREFACEA life without spiritualsadhanais a dreary waste. A life with spiritualsadhanais wiseliving a life that will lead to Blessedness.

3 The combination, the blending together, theharmonising, the combining of an active inner Spiritual life with an active outer secular life,fulfilling of legitimate duties and obligations unavoidable, inevitable actions this combining ofthe Spiritual with the secular, the Divine with the earthly was Gurudev s special mission. And tothat end He gave us one aspect of His teachings in the form of the20 Important Instructions comprise a harmonising of the outer and the inner, the emphasisingof the inner and practising of the teachings of the ancient sages and seers of theUpanishads,practising of the teachings of all the saints who through the centuries have graced and blessedBharatavarsha by their ideal life and teachings.

4 This practice, together with the normal life isGurudev s special teaching to the world, and summing up, the practical20 Important SpiritualInstructionsgive us the key to Blessedness even while living in the world and through the NOTE .. iiiPREFACE.. iiiTHE UNIVERSAL PRAYER .. viTWENTY Important Spiritual Instructions .. viiCHAPTER IIntroduction .. 1 Practice (Abhyasa) .. 3 Procedure of Commencing Reading of the Spiritual Instructions .. 3 CHAPTER IIGet up at .. 6 Asana.. 7 Asana .. 7 Japa .. 8 Dietetic Discipline .. 11 Meditation Room .. 13 Charity .. 15 Svadhyaya .. 16 Brahmacharya .. 18 Perpetuation of the Species.. 21 Power of Brahmacharya .. 22 Duties of Householders.

5 23 Brahmacharya in Modern Society .. 23 Advantages of Brahmacharya .. 29 Books on Brahmacharya .. 32 Prayer Slokas .. 32 Satsanga .. 33 Fast on Ekadasi .. 34 Benefits of Fasting .. 35 Japa Mala (Rosary) .. 35 Vow of Silence (Mouna) .. 36Go Into Silence.. 37 Speak the Truth .. 38 Reduce Your Wants .. 39 Never Hurt Anybody .. 40Do not Depend on Servants ..41 Self-analysis .. 42Do Your Duty .. 42 Privilege And Duty..42 Think of God When You Wake Up .. 43ivCHAPTER IIIR esolves .. 44 Resolve Form .. 48 Gurudev s Legacy to Posterity ..49 Conditions for Membership.. 51 Twenty Precepts For Practice ..52 Sadhana Tattva .. 55vTHE UNIVERSAL PRAYERO Adorable Lord of Mercy and Love!Salutations and prostrations unto art Existence-Consciousness-Bliss art Omnipresent, Omnipotent and art the Indweller of all us an understanding heart,Equal vision, balanced mind,Faith, devotion and wisdomGrant us inner Spiritual strengthTo resist temptations and to control the us from egoism, lust, greed, hatred, anger and our hearts with divine us behold Thee in all these names and us serve Thee in all these names and us ever remember us ever sing Thy Thy Name be ever on our us abide in Thee for ever and ever.

6 Swami SivanandaviTWENTY Important Spiritual INSTRUCTIONS1. Get up at 4. daily. This is Brahmamuhurta which is extremely favourable formeditation on :Sit on Padma, Siddha or Sukha Asana for Japa and meditation for half an hour,facing the east or the north. Increase the period gradually to three hours. Do Sirshasana andSarvangasana for keeping up Brahmacharya and health. Take light physical exercises as walking,etc., regularly. Do Twenty :Repeat any Mantra as pure Om or Om Name Narayanaya, Om Namah Sivaya, OmName Bhagavate Vasudevaya, Om Saravanabhavaya Namah, Sita Ram, Sri Ram, Hari Om, orGayatri, according to your taste or inclination, from 108 to 21,600 times Discipline:Take Sattvic food, Suddha Ahara.

7 Give up chillies, tamarind, garlic,onion, sour articles, oil, mustard, asafoetida. Observe moderation in diet (Mitahara). Do notoverload the stomach. Give up those things which the mind likes best for a fortnight in a year. Eatsimple food. Milk and fruits help concentration. Take food as medicine to keep the life for enjoyment is sin. Give up salt and sugar for a month. You must be able to live on rice,Dhal and bread without any chutni. Do not ask for extra salt for Dhal and sugar for tea, coffee Have a separate meditation room under lock and :Do charity regularly, every month, or even daily according to your means, saysix paisa per :Study systematically the Gita, the Ramayana, the Bhagavata,Vishnu-Sahasranama, Lalita-Sahasranama, Aditya Hridaya, Upanishads or Yoga Vasishtha, theBible, Zend Avesta, the Koran, the Tripitakas, the Granth Sahib, etc.

8 , from half an hour to one hourdaily and have Suddha :Preserve the vital force (Veerya) very, very carefully. Veerya is God inmotion or manifestation Vibhuti. Veerya is all power. Veerya is all money. Veerya is the essenceof life, thought and Slokas:Get by heart some prayer-Slokas, Stotras and repeat them as soon as yousit in the Asana before starting Japa or meditation. This will elevate the mind :Have Satsanga. Give up bad company, smoking, meat and alcoholic liquorsentirely. Do not develop any evil on Ekadasi:Fast on Ekadasi or live on milk and fruits Mala:Have Japa Mala (rosary) round your neck or in your pocket or underneathyour pillow at :Observe Mouna (vow of silence) for a couple of hours the Truth:Speak the truth at all cost.

9 Speak a little. Speak Reduce your wants. If you have four shirts, reduce the number to three or two. Lead ahappy, contented life. Avoid unnecessary worry. Have plain living and high hurt anybody:Never hurt anybody (Ahimsa Paramo Dharmah). Control angerby love, Kshama (forgiveness) and Daya (compassion). not depend upon servants:Do not depend upon servants. Self-reliance is thehighest of all :Think of the mistakes you have committed during the course of the day,just before retiring to bed (self-analysis). Keep daily diary and self-correction register. Do notbrood over past duties:Remember that death is awaiting you at every moment. Never fail to fulfilyour duties. Have pure conduct (Sadachara). to God:Think of God as soon as you wake up and just before you go tosleep.

10 Surrender yourself completely to God (Saranagati).viiiCHAPTER IINTRODUCTIONA dorable and worshipful Gurudev, in whose presence we are now gathered together in thissilent hour of the early morning for a period of prayer and meditation, my humble prayers andsupplication at Thy Feet that these seeking souls who have come into this life Spiritual by the DivineGrace of God, by the blessings of illumined Masters like You, and as a result of their auspicious,good deeds in the past their positive goodKarmas,these sincere seeking souls may utilise thiswonderful good fortune to the fullest. May it not go in vain. May it not be wasted. May its value notremain unrecognised. Confluence of the above three factors bring fortunate souls, a few amongmillions, into a life where they seek the good, where they seek that which will take them into ahigher state of Blessedness, even though it may not seem attractive, even though it may not seempleasant.